Dear parents, carers and students, 

In last weekend's Gospel reading, Jesus asked his disciples, “who do people say that I am?” Whilst the responses were many and varied, it was his next question of all of us which was at the heart of his message, “who do you say that I am?” We are each called to answer this fundamental question of our faith, free from our secular environments, and focused on our own personal conviction about who He is. In this brief exchange, He teaches us that if we were to truly accept him as our Lord, we must share in the experience of His life, to share in His suffering and to indeed, carry our own cross. It was in carrying His cross that He demonstrated his love, charity and generosity for all of us, and this passage challenges us to find ways of doing the same in our lives. 

Consistent with the message in this reading, I had the great pleasure of recently attending the launch of the 2024 Catholic Mission Project with two of our Year 10 representatives, Bridget Malone and Lachlan Chadwick, along with our Youth Ministry Coordinator, Miss Sarah Neasy. At this event, Bishop Brian spoke of the challenges faced by the people of Mongolia, a country of 3.5 million people nestled between Russia and China, and with a Catholic population of around 1,500. Bishop Brian repeatedly reminded us of the small acts of charity and kindness that we can each employ in order to realise our baptismal promise of making Jesus known and loved among populations that haven’t come to know Him yet. Over the course of October we will be arranging a number of initiatives so that students can each participate and support the work of Catholic Mission in our community and beyond.  

Each year, every secondary school in the diocese has the opportunity to nominate one Year 12 student for the prestigious Bishop’s Excellence Award. On the evening of Thursday 5th September, I had the great pleasure of presenting William Thomas of Year 12 to Bishop Brian Mascord and the Director of Schools, Mr Peter Hill as the recipient of this award. William was joined by his family for this special occasion where a detailed citation of his work, effort and focus on social justice and outreach was celebrated by all who were present. Congratulations William on this outstanding achievement.

As many would be aware, Year 11 students have been sitting their Preliminary Examinations over the past two weeks, marking the official end to their Preliminary (Year 11) Course. From the beginning of next Term, they will officially commence Year 12 and their Higher School Certificate. I take the opportunity to congratulate our students on how well they have approached this assessment period, and in doing so, laying a strong foundation for a successful start to their final year of study. 

Finally this week, I would like to invite all members of our community to remember our Year 12 cohort in your thoughts and prayers over the coming week as we celebrate their graduation. A number of significant lead up events will culminate on Wednesday morning when we gather together as a College community to celebrate their Graduation Mass which will be followed by their Graduation and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday night. I have no doubt that each celebration will be a fitting acknowledgment for such a significant occasion. 

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead, 

David Cloran

Principal